Weft-detecting mechanism for looms.



E. H. RYON.

WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1916.

1 1:: mi Q6 6 Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

llllllll l man as raiwr FFT@.

EPPA H. RYON OF WALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, 013 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

WEFT-DETECTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 191?.

Application filed June 8, 1916. Serial No. 102,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPPA H. RYoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at W altham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Weft-Detecting Mechanism for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weft detecting mechanism for looms, of the type employed to detect substantial exhaustion of the weft in the running shuttle and to cause replacement of the weft carrier before the weft is entirely exhausted.

Different forms of detecting mechanism have been heretofore devised for this purpose, and one form of such mechanism comprised a detecting member provided with one or more points or teeth for engagement with the weft windings, which engagement prevented angular movement of the detecting member. The member was therefore carried bodily in the direction of movement of the lay and this bodily movement was utilized to disable or render inoperative the mechanism for changing the weft carrier. W hen the weft was substantially exhausted, the engaging end of the detecting member would slide along upon the smooth surface of the weft carrier or bobbin instead of being moved bodily therewith, and this absence of bodily movement of the detecting member permitted the actuating mechanism to remain operative.

This type of detecting mechanism has not been found entirely satisfactory, as the teeth upon the detecting member have a tendency to abrade and weaken the weft at the point of engagement and furthermore any slight roughness of the weft carrier or bobbin may prevent the sliding movement necessary to render the device operative, even after the erative until the weft is substantially exhausted. Preferably the detecting member has a smooth and slightly rounded end and swings lightly upon a pivot when engaged by the weft. l/Vhen the filling is substantially exhausted, the detecting member so engages certain portions of the weft carrier or devices. thereon that movement of the member out of the path of the carrier is positively prevented. The member is therefore forced to move bodily with the weft carrier, and through suitable connections, the actuating mechanism is rendered operative.

In the preferred form of my invention the devices which prevent sliding movement of the detecting member comprise one or more grooves turned in the barrel of the weft carrier. This preferred form is shown in the drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a shuttle and shuttle box, with my improved detecting mechanism associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken along the line 22 in F ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, and

Figs. 4:, 5, 6 and 7 show the weft carrier and detecting member in a series of different positions.

Referring to Fig. 1, the weft carrier 10 is mounted in a shuttle 11 which is shown as resting within a shuttle box 12, carried by the lay of the loom. These parts may all be of the usual construction with the exception of the weft carrier 10 which is provided with one or more shouldered grooves 13. These grooves are positioned to engage the end 14 of a detecting member 14 whenever they are uncovered by the substantial exhaustion of the weft thereon.

The member 14 is pivoted at 15 to a support or carrier 16 which is slidable upon an arm 17 projecting from a bracket 18 which is rigidly secured to the loom frame 19. A light springQO engages a projection 21 upon the member 1 1 and normally holds the member against a stop 22 formed on the support or carrier 16; A rod 23 is fixed to the carrier 16 and extends through a hole in the bracket 18. At its outer end the rod is threaded to receive an adjusting nut 24: and

a checknut by which the extreme rearward position of the detecting member can be adjusted. A coiled spring 26 surrounds the 351. A' coiled spring surrounds the shaft 29, and normally maintains the arms 28 and 32in the position shown in Fig. 2.

One end of a floating lever 36 is movable in a slot 37 in said stand 34;,said lever being connected to control the operation of actuating mechanism for changing the weft carrier in theshuttle. When the'parts are in normal position with the carrier 16 in its rearward position, the rod 33 .isfdrawn forwardand the slot 37 in the stand 34: is

open, thus permitting idle movement of the lever 36, through theslot. The lever 36 corresponds in function to the lever 25 shown and described in my prior Patent 'No.

972,722, issued to me October 11, 1910, and V theactuating mechanism controlled by the 7' level" 36 ay b f the type'shown and dey I scribed in said patent. j

i I The operation of my device is best shown in Figs. 4 to 7. Figs. 4: and 5 show the movement of the detecting member when en- I shown'in Fig. 5.

'16 remains stationary in its rearward position. 1 When the; weft is substantlally ex gaged by a weft bobbin having a sufficient supply of weft remaln ng thereon.

The smooth, slightly rounded end 14 of the detecting' member engages the weft, as shown in Fig; 4:, and slips along the surface thereof, swinging about its pivot to the position The support or carrier hausted the grooves 13 will be uncovered and the end 14 of the member lt will engage one or the other of these grooves (Fig. 6), being thus positively held against swinging or sliding movement alongthe weft carrier. As. the member can not swing about its pivot it, is forced bodily. forward with the weft carrier and shuttle, as shown in Fig. 7, and such movement swings the arm 28 111 the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 2. The arm 32 is thusmoved to the-left in said figure,

, and the rod 33 is. projected across the slot 37 in the stand 34. The rod in this position prevents free movement of the lever 36, thus changing the effective pivot thereof, and

' causing the transfer or other actuating mech- V anism to become operative.

Having thus described my invention it 7 will be evident that changes and modificationscan bemade therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed.

' What I claim is 1. In a loom, in combination, a lay, a weft carrier supported in a shuttle carried by said lay, weft detecting mechanism, and normally inoperative actuating mechanism controlled thereby, said detecting mechanism comprising a movable support and a detecting member mounted thereon and also movable relatively to said support when engaged by weft on said weft carrier, said weft carrier being provided with devices which, when substantially uncovered by removal of the weft thereover, engage said member and prevent such relative movement thereof, whereby said member and support are moved bodily with said weft carrier and said actuating mechanism is rendered operative.

2. In a loom, in combination, a lay, a weft carrier supported in a shuttle carried by said lay, weft detecting mechanism, and normally inoperative actuating mechanism confreely about its pivot when engaged by weft on the weft carrier, and devices on said weft carrier efiective to positively prevent such swinging movement when the weft is substantially exhausted, whereby said member and support are moved bodily with said weft carrier and said actuating mechanism is rendered operative.

,3. In a loom, a weft carrier and weft detecting mechanism comprising a detecting member positioned to engage said weft carrier, normally inoperative actuating mechanism controlled thereby, a support for said member, said member having an inoperative movement independent of said support and axial of said carrier and being also movable with said support transversely of said carrier to render said actuating mechanism operative when said independent inoperative movement is prevented, and means to prevent said inoperative axial movement of.

tecting mechanism comprising a detecting member, a slide upon which said member is thereon eflective to prevent such slipping of pivoted and actuating mechanism consaid member along the weft carrier when the trolled in its operation by said slide, the enweft thereon is substantially exhausted. 10

gaging portion of said member slipping lon- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 gitudinally of said weft carrier when enmy hand.

gaged by a suflicient supply of weft thereon, and said weft carrier having provision 7 EPPA H. RYON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

